Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians 

About: Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Health care & Kidney disease. It has an ISSN identifier of 2448-9514. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 122 publications have been published receiving 202 citations.

Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has caused marked morbidity and mortality globally. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 can be classified as asymptomatic, mild, moderate and severe disease. Majority of the symptomatic patients complain of fever, dry cough, sore throat and shortness of breath, while others present with non-specific symptoms like altered sense of smell or taste, myalgia, lethargy, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal disturbances. Though COVID-19 mainly affects the respiratory system, disease may cause widespread systemic and organ specific symptoms involving gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiovascular, immunological, cutaneous, hematological and coagulation systems. Minority of patients present with large vessel strokes, rare neurological syndromes like Guillain-Barre syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome, which may be the sole manifestation of the disease. Some of the clinical presentations and pathogenesis of COVID are yet to be unraveled.

COVID-19 vaccine landscape

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is currently pandemic, and as of 15th November 2020, there have been 53.7 million confirmed cases worldwide and around 1.3 million deaths. The availability of an effective vaccine is the best long-term answer to the current COVID-19 pandemic. More than 210 candidate vaccines have come into development since the start of the pandemic. Eleven vaccines (ten of them specifically directed against SARS-CoV-2) have entered phase 3 clinical trials. Five of these vaccines have also been approved for early or limited use. This review outlines information on the current COVID-19 vaccine pipeline, discusses the pros and cons of different vaccine delivery systems and the steps involved in getting a safe and effective vaccine to the global population.

Usefulness of World Health Organization (WHO) dengue case classifications in a Sri Lankan clinical setting

Abstract: Background: Dengue viral infections are a major public health problem in many tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world. Early diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic interventions are critical for reducing both morbidity and mortality. The WHO has proposed a revised classification based on warning signs as the validity and usefulness of the WHO 1997 dengue classification has been questioned in recent times. The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness and applicability of these guidelines in the clinical setting. Methods: Clinical and laboratory findings were recorded in a standard format and cases were classified using the two classifications. Presence of warning signs in clinical DF and DHF groups were compared. Results: One hundred and six patients with clinically suspected dengue between January and July 2010 were studied. Seventy eight (75.7%) had dengue fever (DF) and 28 (26.4%) had dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) according the clinical parameters. Of the patients with DHF, only five (17.9%) fulfilled all four WHO criteria for DHF. Application of the revised WHO classification revealed 19 (17.9%) dengue without warning signs, 82 (77.4%) dengue with warning signs and 5 (4.7%) severe dengue. Presence of warning signs was compared in clinical DF and DHF groups. In total, 60 (76.9%) DF and 26 (92.9%) DHF patients developed warning signs, and 1 (3.6%) DHF patient did not have any warning signs. Thirty three (42.3%) DF patients had 2 or more warning signs while 22 (78.5%) DHF patients had two or more warning signs. Conclusion: There were limitations in applying the WHO 1997 classification in making a diagnosis of DHF. We were able to classify all patients using the revised WHO 2009 classification and is more compatible with observed clinical findings and user-friendly to the practicing physician. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jccp.v42i1-2.4550 Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians, 2011, 42 , 21-27

Rickettsial infections in Sri Lanka: yesterday, today and tomorrow

Abstract: P.B. Fernando Oration 2010 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jccp.v42i1-2.4548 Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians, 2011, 42 , 11-15

Care of the elderly: a multidisciplinary approach

Abstract: Mrs. S, a 68-year-old woman was seen at an Elders’ Clinic in Medirigiriya. She complained of bilateral knee pain, backache and loss of appetite. Her BMI was 26 kg/m2. She gave a history of two falls (provoked) during the last three months. She was found to be depressed when assessed using the GDS 4 scale. Her cognitive function was normal. Her blood pressure was 130/80 mm Hg. She had bilateral impairment of hearing. She had decreased visual acuity, vision 6/60 in one eye. She had a slow gait assessed by the get up and go test, due to the pain caused by osteoarthritis. She did most of her activities independently despite these problems.